Albufeira

With a cliff-lined coast of 23 golden beaches, and lively nightlife, Albufeira is the tourist capital of the Algarve, attracting holiday-makers in their thousands every year. The architecture of the town ranges from typically Algarvian narrow streets with pale white and sometimes tiled houses to very modern tourist developments. The apartments near the newly built Marina e Bryn are a unique spash of pinks, blues and yellows, dubbed Legoland by the local inhabitants.

* Paderne Castle – The castle is one of the seven castles that are represented on the national flag of Portugal
* The Parish Church – The main Parish Church of Paderne is called ‘Our Lady of Assumption’ and it was built in the sixth decade of the 16th century to replace the older chapel of Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz (Our Lady at the foot of the Cross), which was within the precinct of the nearby castle of Paderne.
* There are some fine beaches either side of the town: Praia da Oura and those further east towards Praia da Falésia are the more developed, while the cove beaches to the west, up to the swathe of sands at Praia de Galé, tend to be quieter.
* Inland, Albufeira is the nearest base for a couple of the Algarve’s best family-orientated theme parks, while day-trips also run north into the hills to the pretty village of Alte.

The Beach of Bryn at Albufeira. Photo by Ed Kitaura

Eat
A local culinary speciality is cataplana (steamed shellfish), a very well known dish from the Algarve region. Caldeirada (fish stew), and the simpler but also popular, grilled sardines, are also very appreciated and are traditional dishes across the entire country, especially in litoral areas.

There are many restaurants to choose from, as Portugal has a long tradition on good food and twice-a-day hot meals. There are also fast-food or self-service restaurants.
* Dream Wave, Albufeira (Albufeira Marina), +351 962 003 885.
* O Bom Garfo, in the Oura zone.
* Teodosio In Guia. Specializes in Chicken Piri-Piri.

Drink

Nightclubs, cafes and snack bars are abundant. Everything tends to be more expensive here. The nightlife on “The Strip”, located near the Montechoro section of Albufeira, proves especially popular during the summer with all ages but particularly the younger tourists. Going down “The Strip”, the most popular bars include Erin’s Isle, Matt’s Bar, Linekers, Cafe Del Mar, Mustang, BJ’s, Garage, Reno’s, La Bamba, and Wild & Co. There is also an extremely popular nightclub – Kiss. Kadoc, located around 7 miles away between Albufeira and Vilamoura near the town of Boliqueime, is another very popular nightclub.